As president of Eastern Wisconsin Stock Cars, I would like to point out many of great things our group has done to improve the Manitowoc County Expo grounds — as a whole and the track area in particular — our community outreach programs and our total commitment to the city and county of Manitowoc.

I also urge you to discuss this with many of the Expo and Ice Center board members who voted against, or even for, the sale. We cannot simply toss aside an advisory vote against this sale of 15-6. I believe these individuals understand the challenges ahead of them without the sale and are willing to put forth the continued and extra efforts needed to provide one of the greatest fair experiences in northeast Wisconsin.

I understand the easy choice to sell the grounds and reap the $4.6 million reward. However, this offer may also have been beneficial in other ways. This offer has opened many eyes within the community as to the extensive needs of the Expo grounds. We believe this would be the perfect opportunity to tell the community that the Expo grounds is not for sale and will be in its current location for many years to come.

EWSC would be willing to join forces with the Expo and work on a capital improvement drive. We have many business contacts within the community and feel now is a great time to build on the relationships we have with both the county and the local businesses.

I would also like to explain what the race track means to the community, the city and the surrounding areas. On a weekly basis, May through September, the race track provides family entertainment at an affordable price. A family of four can go to the races for about $50, which includes $22 for admission and another $30 for food and beverages.

The kids can sign up for our free kids’ club and enjoy a bus ride around the track for the national anthem. Each week kids sign in, they get a spin on the prize wheel and can win one of many prizes. Kids also have other opportunities throughout the year to win bicycles, give away the trophies on the infield, ride along in the water truck and many other moments that will stay with them for life.

We also hope to continue to build on the IRA race that was held July 3. We believe that with six to eight regional and even national events, the county, city and Manitowoc Speedway will become a destination for families to attend the races. This doesn’t even account for the number of people who will stay in local hotels, dine at local restaurants, attend other local events and fill up at the many local gas stations.

Over the past 11 years, EWSC has provided the county with more than $200,000 in rent and many improvements. This off-season, we have been working with a local contractor to pour cement barriers to replace the guardrail around the racetrack. Another project we are working on also includes a local company to add lighting to both the racetrack and pit area.

EWSC has also been involved with many charities in the community over the years. We support the Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Holiday House, Manitowoc County Youth Hockey, Pink Heals of Manitowoc and, new for 2016, we will provide a night at the races to collect donations for the Fill the Boot Campaign of the Manitowoc Fire Department.

While EWSC opposes the sale of the Expo grounds to Meijer, we encourage the county to assist Meijer in finding an alternate site. A number of supervisors who have shown their support for this sale also feel this is the beginning of the end for Expo. I believe this may afford the county the opportunity to put a plan in place to potentially sell the entire grounds.

Perhaps Meijer would be willing to wait two or three years for a new fairgrounds site to be identified and things to start being built. This would allow the county to reap the rewards of obtaining a larger tax base, in line with the city’s plan for development of this area, and to provide a more centrally located fairground, in the country, for all of the current Expo activities.

Whatever the county board decides, we hope we will still be able to continue to work with the county in what we see as a win-win situation — being able to welcome Meijer to the area and maintaining one of the region's greatest tracks with the Manitowoc Speedway.